Pipe cutting tool



06. 30, 1947. J. B. GM. m. 2, 3 60 PIPE CUTTING TOOL Filed Feb. 19, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet. 1

II E- & INVENTORS John 5. Gill BY -[.eo/mr d C. Schomer ATTORNEY Dec. 30, 1947.

PIPE CUTTING TOOL Filed Feb. 19, 1945 J. B. GILL ET AL 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS John B. 617/ Leondrd 6. 56/70/7719v Y W ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 30, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PIPE CUTTING TOOL John B. Gill, San Francisco, and Leonard C. Schomer, Fresno, Calif., assignors to Pilot Manufacturing Company, San Francisco, Calif., a co-partnership Application February 19, 1945, Serial N0. 578,649

Telford L. Smith and John B. Gill, as joint may be substituted for certain roller guides where inventors, now issued into Patent No. 2,381,156, the use of the cutting wheel is desirable; granted on August '7, 1945. Figure 3, an enlarged detail view, in side eleva- In the latter application it was proposed to tion, of a portion of the tool shown in Figure 2; provide a pipe cutting tool employing a plurality and of arcuate links joined to form a chain adapted Figure 4, a transverse section through the form to wrap around a pipe to be cut, to provide means shown in Figure 3. cooperating with any suitable pair of adjacent While we have shown only the preferred forms links for drawing the intervening joint away from of our invention, it should be understood that the pipe and for drawing the two outer joints various changes or modifications may be made together, whereby the two links were made to within the scope of the claims hereto attached form an are over the pipe, and whereby the overall without departing from the spirit of the invenlength of the chain was reduced. tion.

In the pending application it was proposed to Referring to the drawing in detail, and particuuse a reversely threaded rod for adjusting the larly to Figure 1, our pipe cutting tool comprises spacing between the two adjacent links. a chain I made up of a plurality of links 2. These In the present application it is proposed to prolinks are made arcuate in form and drawn to a vide a novel control means for adjusting the spacdiameter which may conform to the smallest ing between adjacent links, the principal addiameter pipe for which the tool is intended. vantage of the new control means being that it They curve away from large pipes, as, for inprovides a wider range of adjustment, allowing stance, the pipe 3 shown in the drawing, and the two control links to yield the full length of this has the advantage of providing clearance both links around the circumference, if fully for the removed material. extended. On the other hand, it allows the two Each of the links 2 comprises two plates 4 control links to be contracted so as to be. subarranged in spaced and parallel relation and held stantially confined in their overall length to the in position by the use of suitable spacing memnormal length of a single link. bers 5.

Our new control means also makes it possible The links are interconnected by means of pivots to use the control member as a handle for re- 6, and these pivots serve as bearings for guide volving the chain about the pipe, because the rollers 1 which project inwardly beyond the links control member is arranged in radial direction. so as to contact the p pe u ace- The new control means is intended toincrease The rollers may be made substantially in the. the range of each individual tool, by insertion or same form as illustrated in the co-pending appliremoval of individual links or of linked pairs, and, cation, of considerable width so as to offer a large in fact, a few basic tools will cover the entire riding surface, and provided with a central taperrange of pipes usually encountered in work of this ing rib 8 adapted to follow the kerf made by the character. cutter to prevent travelling of the chain length- And finally, our new control means readily wise of the pipe and to keep the chain to a true adapts itself to the use of a plurality of paired course. links in a single chain, with control members All the links used in our chain are made subradiating in Opposing relation, like the control stantially of the same form and are interchangehandles of a pilot wheel, which makes the chain able. relatively easy to operate even where many links The chain shown is intended for use in connecare employed and the tool is made to cut a pipe tion with a relatively large pipe, say about twelve of large size. inches in nominal diameter and the links shown Further objects and advantages of our invenmay be divided into two classes, one comprising tion will appear as the specification proceeds, four single links 9, and the other four sets of and the novel features of the invention will be double links [0, making twelve links in all. The fully defined in the claims hereto attached. chain is preferably designed to contain one link The preferred form of our invention is illusfor each inch of nominal pipe diameter. trated in the accompanying drawing, forming Any one of the single links and any set of part of this application, in which:

2 Figure 1 shows a side view of a pipe cutting tool of many links arranged around a pipe of large diameter;

Figure 2, a detail view of a cutting wheel which double links may be readily removed from the chain to lessen the overall length of the latter and to make the same adaptable for use in connection with pipes of smaller diameters, down to three inch pipes.

One of the single links maybe used as a carrier for th cutter H. The latter may be of any suitable form and may substantially correspond to the cutter conventionally used in lathe operations.

The lathe cutter II is mounted in a yoke l2, and may be fed, for deepening the cut in suc-, cessive revolutions, by means of athreaded rod l3 engaging in the cross-member of the yoke and provided with a handle l4.

The cutter is preferably made of substantially the same width as the tapered rib 8 on the guide rollers and is mounted in the same transverse plane so that the guide roller ribs will ride in the kerf of the cutter and keep the whole chain to a true course.

The four sets of double links In are used to adjust a chain of a given length to the circumference of the pipe and to deepen the engagement of the rollers on successive revolutions. They may be contracted and expanded to accomplish this purpose. With this object in mind, we provide, in connection with each set of chain links, a pair of auxiliary links l5, which are superimposed on the chain links to project outwardly therefrom.

The auxiliary links are pivoted to the chain links, intermediate the lengths thereof, as at I6, and are pivoted to one another, as at l|.- The latter pivot is positioned in radial alinement with ing between the pivots I7 and is may be changed at will by turning the handle l9.

When the handle is turned in one direction, the pivot 18 is drawn away from the surface of the pipe, causing the outer ends of the links H] to move toward one another, and to thus shorten the overall length of the chain, as indicated in Figure 3.

It will be noted that this shortening movement may be executed at least to a degree where the overall length of the two links on the circumference of the pipe is practically reduced to that of a single link. On the other hand, the reverse movement may be carried sufficiently far to bring the full length of the two links into play, as shown in Figure l.

The handle 55 extends beyond the threaded portion in radial direction to serve as a manipulating means for turning the chain about the pipe. In the form shown, four of these radial handles are provided in uniform spacing, and they give to the entire tool the appearance of a pilot wheel and allow the tool to be operated substantially in the same manner in which a pilot wheel is operated.

Any suitable coupling means may be provided, as at 25, to connect and disconnect the two end links of the chain, and this coupling should preferably be positioned at the pivot following the.

cutter I l.

In use, the chain is first adjusted, by removal of the single links, to the approximate size of the pipe to be cut. It is then wrapped around the pipe and secured at the coupling 25. Next the chainistightened around the pipe by operation of the handles 19 to press the ribs 8 into contact with the pipe. The cutter H is similarly adjusted to contact the pipe.

The chain is then turned about the pipe by use of the handles l9, each handle being turned slightly while being gripped, for deepening the engagement. The cutter thus cuts a kerf in the pipe material and the ribs of the guide rollers follow the kerf and keep the chain to its course.

After the kerf has reached a depth equal to the height of the rib, the latter will fully engage in the kerf and the cylindrical portion of the rollers will ride on the pipe. The chain now cannot be tightened any further, but is firmly held against endwise movement of the pipe by the ribs 1 fully engaging in the kerf. Cutting action may be continued by gradual deepening of the cutter blade through operation of the handle M.

In case it is desired to dispense with the lathe cutter l i, a cutting wheel 26, shown in Figure 2, may be substituted for the guide rollers previously described. This cutting wheel comprises a hub 2'! and a rib 28. The latter is made much deeper than the one on roller 7 and has a casehardened knife edge, so as to cut through the pipe material upon proper manipulation of the tool.

We claim:

1. In a pipe cutting tool of the character described, a chain adapted for placing around a pipe and comprising a plurality of arcuate links having pivotal joints connecting the same, two auxiliary links pivoted to two adjacent chain links intermediate the lengths thereof and being connected together by a hinge joint, the latter joint being in radial alinement with the joint between the two adjacent chain links, and a radial handle revolvably held in one of the lastmentioned joints and threadedly in the other, whereby the spacing between the two joints may be adjusted for spreading or contracting the adjacent chain links.

2. In a pipe cutting tool of the character described, a chain adapted for placing around a pipe and comprising a plurality of arcuate links having pivotal joints connecting the same, two auxiliary links pivoted to two adjacent chain links intermediate the lengths thereof and being connected together by a hinge joint, the latter joint being in radial alinement with the joint between the two adjacent chain links, and a radial handle revolvably held in one of the last-mentioned joints and threadedly in the other, whereby the spacing between the two joints may be adjusted for spreading or contracting the adjacent chain links, the handle projecting radially beyond the two joints to serve as a manipulating member for revolving the chain about the pipe.

JOHN B. GILL. LEONARD C. SCHOMER.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Anderson Jan. 28, 1896 Number 

